The Avalon Chronicles: Caius
by Jenn0509
Summary: I wasn't always Caius. I wasn't always a member of the Volturi, but it seems like I've always been dead. That is, until her. She is my only weakness, the only person with the power to bring me to my knees. CaiusXOC Read & Review! Companion to NIB/TC!
1. Preview of Chapter 1

I wasn't always Caius. I wasn't always a member of the Volturi, but it seems like I've always been dead. Strange as it may sound, I wasn't always in this world. I wasn't born here, in a place called Volterra. I was born in a mythical place called Avalon. A decedent of Arthurian Avalon, I was born in a world nearly parallel to that of my brothers. I was a slave before I was freed around my nineteenth birthday. My human memories are few and far between, and none of them being particularly fond. Thus is the root of my rather inherent dislike for humans.

In the next few thousand years, I came to the world of my brothers, I became a vampire, killed countless humans, became a member of the Volturi, married Athenadora for show, and had become quite bored with my life. Sensing my restlessness, my brothers decided to allow me to have a little vacation. On the first day of my solo journey, I discovered an aching need to go home. Of course, Dimitri would be tracking me, but I could get around that.

I was a Broker, my powers far greater than either of my brothers assumed. As a rule, my mind is unreadable, unless I allow someone to see into it, allowing me to feed Dimitri false points for my whereabouts. I had amassed a fair few many powers over the years by making deals mostly with terrified Gifted humans. In exchange for control of their gifts, I killed them instead of them being turned. What my brothers saw as my short temper was mercy on my part.

I'd had this charade going for decades; so needless to say, I could pretty much do anything I wanted to. I packed a bag, and left Volterra without a strict duty for the first time in several centuries. The outside world had changed while my brothers and I had remained primarily in our fortress. It was strange; the things called "cars" were everywhere. We'd heard about them, but I'd never seen one. I took myself to the nearest train station, glad that at least not much there had changed, it was still crammed full of humans. For once, I didn't have to act like their presence bothered me. A great thing about being a Broker, we don't shine in the sun unless we want to. Also a perk, my eyes became a rather washed out pale blue when I wanted to blend in. Unlike my brothers, my body was built to blend in, so no one noticed the young blonde haired man in slightly outdated clothing as he weaved in and out of lines.

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So, here is the first section of chapter one. I"m only putting this up here to see what kind of response I get, if it is positive, I'll start updating.

So, if you liked it and want more, review!

-Jenn


	2. Chapter 1

So, I got really nice reviews, so this is for the people that reviewed, the rest of the first chapter. That would be: Michelle and FreeSpiritSeeker. Thank you both, and here you go! I hope you like it, and know that there is more to come.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Twilight characters...I wish I did, but then again, don't we all? I also don't own the song I quoted...it's the "Boy's Gone" by Jason Mraz. I just like to get everyone in the mood occasionally with a song that fits my chapter. I won't do it all the time, but I'll try to remember to put what it's called and who it's by if anyone is curious.

Enjoy!

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_"The boy's gone. The boy's gone home._

_What will happen to a face in the crowd when it finally gets too crowded._  
_And will happen to the origins of sound after all the sounds have sounded_  
_Well I hope I never have to see that day but by God I know it's headed our way_  
_So I better be happy now that the boy's gone home. The boy's gone home._

_And what becomes of a day for those who rage against it_  
_And who will sum up the phrase for all left standing around in it_

_Well I suppose we'll all make our judgement calls_  
_We'll walk it alone, stand up tall, then march to the fall _  
_So we better be happy now that we'll all go home._

_Be so happy with the way you are_  
_Just be happy that you made it this far_  
_Go on be happy now. Please be happy now_

_Because you say that this is something else_  
_this is something else all right_

_I tried to live my life i lived it so well_  
_But when it's all over is it heaven or is it hell_  
_I better be happy now that no one can tell, say nobody knows_  
_I'm gonna be happy with the way that I am_  
_I'm gonna be happy with all that I stand...for_  
_I'm gonna be happy now because the boy's going home._

_The boy's gone home."  
_

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I wasn't always Caius. I wasn't always a member of the Volturi, but it seems like I've always been dead. Strange as it may sound, I wasn't always in this world. I wasn't born here, in a place called Volterra. I was born in a mythical place called Avalon. A decedent of Arthurian Avalon, I was born in a world nearly parallel to that of my brothers. I was a slave before I was freed around my nineteenth birthday. My human memories are few and far between, and none of them being particularly fond. Thus is the root of my rather inherent dislike for humans.

In the next few thousand years, I came to the world of my brothers, I became a vampire, killed countless humans, became a member of the Volturi, married Athenadora for show, and had become quite bored with my life. Sensing my restlessness, my brothers decided to allow me to have a little vacation. On the first day of my solo journey, I discovered an aching need to go home. Of course, Dimitri would be tracking me, but I could get around that.

I was a Broker, my powers far greater than either of my brothers assumed. As a rule, my mind is unreadable, unless I allow someone to see into it, allowing me to feed Dimitri false points for my whereabouts. I had amassed a fair few many powers over the years by making deals mostly with terrified Gifted humans. In exchange for control of their gifts, I killed them instead of them being turned. What my brothers saw as my short temper was mercy on my part.

I'd had this charade going for decades; so needless to say, I could pretty much do anything I wanted to. I packed a bag, and left Volterra without a strict duty for the first time in several centuries. The outside world had changed while my brothers and I had remained primarily in our fortress. It was strange; the things called "cars" were everywhere. We'd heard about them, but I'd never seen one. I took myself to the nearest train station, glad that at least not much there had changed, it was still crammed full of humans. For once, I didn't have to act like their presence bothered me. A great thing about being a Broker, we don't shine in the sun unless we want to. Also a perk, my eyes became a rather washed out pale blue when I wanted to blend in. Unlike my brothers, my body was built to blend in, so no one noticed the young blonde haired man in slightly outdated clothing as he weaved in and out of lines.

I took the train to Amesbury and started my journey to Stonehenge. I could have just as easily gone home from Volterra, but part of me thought that the effort would have been wasted. There were at least four places that one could use to cross to Avalon. Stonehenge was the oldest, and the only one specifically made to join the two worlds. As long as Stonehenge remained intact, Avalon remained tied to this world. The other points, the one hidden in the catacombs of Volterra, a small one in Pakistan, and one in some bloody little American town called Forks, were neither as grand nor as significant. After all, they were just ancient engravings in a few tiny rocks.

The bustle of the city was incredible, but the solitude I found on the outskirts of Stonehenge was a relief. I carefully chose the stone I wanted to use, as each individual one corresponding to a different province of Avalon. The centermost stone would drop you right behind the castle in the capital, something I did not want to chance. Although part of me was reluctant, I gritted my teeth, and decided to go home.

I was born in a small town called Galonrhew, roughly meaning Ice Heart, an irony not lost on me. My parents had been slaves, and so I was born into slavery. I wanted to see if this world had changed as much as the other one had. I passed through the Henge to nothing. I stood there, staring in blank shock at the nothing that surrounded me. I'd expected many things, but not this, not a large empty clearing in the middle of a dense forest. What had happened? Was I truly alone; was there no one with even the smallest fraction of my history in them? My entire village was gone.

"What you starin' at, boy?" A curt voice asked, baring the obtuse accent that I assumed had been lost with my people. I turned around, looking to find a fat, middle-aged woman standing in a ghastly wool outfit surrounded by a small herd of bleating goats. I arched an eyebrow at her haggard appearance, and she snarled the way humans do when they're annoyed and old, "I sai', what you starin' at! Wha' are you doin' in my field?" She was missing several teeth in the front, causing her words to sometimes not sound right, and she was obviously mentally challenged or at least very uneducated.

I blinked a few times, "I'm looking for Galonrhew. Do you know what happened to it? It used to be right here."

She grinned toothily, "You mean Galon? Where have you been for the last 'en centuries? It hasn' been in 'is field for a' leas' 'at long."

"Well, where is it?" I asked through my teeth, what patience I had left thinning quickly.

She waved a hand my direction, "Calm down boy, keep you 'rousers on. No need 'o ge' grumpy." I was about to snap her neck, when she pointed over her right shoulder, "It's jus' ove' t'ere. Go 'hrough 'he trees, an' it's right there. Nice people in 'ha' town. Don' go givin' 'hem trouble. You 'ear? An' be careful. They're a bi' ne'vous thi' time o' yea'."

I nodded. She looked at me expectantly. I suppressed a snort, "You're expecting me to thank you?"

She nodded and held out a grubby hand, "I've go' feed to buy fo' my babies come win'er." She said as she pat one of her goats on the head.

"I don't have any money."

Here eyes narrowed, "Liar."

I held up my hands, "I'm not a liar. I don't lie, ever." I walked past her, in the direction she had gestured to. I moved quickly, and shortly later her voice faded into silence.

The forest was thicker than I remembered. The city was, if it was possible, even smaller than it had been when I had been alive. At least that's what it looked like, until I went past the first few houses. No one was out, but I hadn't expected anything else, it was late, the sun setting. Most of the humans must have been eating dinner. I wandered around, looking for something to connect to my past, to no avail. No one saw me, I moved quickly to examine everything, which was probably best, I wasn't ready to talk to anyone, and the old woman had taxed my patience enough. I just wanted to look around.

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Hope you liked it! And if you did, please, review! If you are interested in my world, look at my FictionPress, where I have The Avalon Chronicles: Elaine posted...wow...I just noticed the spelling error in my title...I need to fix that :) Anyway, Elaine is in the same land, and it will eventually be loosely entwined with this one, but with no Twilight characters...I think that just about covers it!


	3. Chapter 2

Here's chapter two, lovelies. You all have been so supportive of my little project, and I thank you all and hope for continued support. Thank you so much! Now, we get to meet _her_.  


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The houses were wood now, with glass windows, and slate roofs. In my time, they had been tiny little shacks made out of anything you could find, and often just an empty cave in the mountain east of the village. And if you couldn't find anything…then you just didn't have a house. Some of the houses were closer together than others, and I could sense that those houses held families, from old withering elders to squalling infants. The houses on the edge of the village were either empty, or inhabited by teenagers it seemed.

I sat down on one of the empty porches; it was farthest away from the center of the town and still smelled like fresh wood. It was a strong guess that it had just been built, and had yet to gain an inhabitant. I sat there, and watched the sun completely disappear into the tree line. The temperature dropped, but it didn't bother me. I watched a few people dart from one house to another, children going to their own homes from dinner at their parents.

I didn't belong in this world any more. No one would remember me from thousands of years ago. I doubted that any of them were even descended from my sister, and if they were, I was certain they wouldn't know me. I'd come to this world looking to find something that was missing.

I couldn't exactly pinpoint what I thought was missing, but all I'd managed to find was a reminder that my brothers were all that I had left. I could imagine the smug look on Aro's face if, no when, I came sulking back, more depressed and withdrawn than ever. He would be thrilled to know that I was entirely dependent on him. I hated that man, to the deepest part of my soul.

I smiled a little. Edward Cullen thought we were soulless. I knew better, as vampires, we are heartless. We go about our vampire lives trying to prove something to the others, that we're stronger, more powerful, or just plain scarier than any other vampire. It's all a farce. I know the truth. We're afraid that if we stop trying to one up one another that there will be nothing left for us.

I envied the Cullens. They had lives, when they went to school, did they not feel thankful for it? I wanted to get to know these humans. I wanted to find something in their tradition that struck as familiar. After centuries of being alone in a crowded room, I wanted someone to remember me. No one would though. I couldn't make myself stand, and take the steps to the center of the town. I was a coward.

I chuckled at myself. Previously, for fun I would have slaughtered this village of people, but I wouldn't…at least not now.

"Are you mad?" A soft voice said from behind my shoulder.

I froze, I hadn't heard her. A shallow, unnecessary breath caught in my throat when I turned to look at her. I'd never really given most of the woman in the Volturi a second glance, but I knew a beautiful woman when I saw one. The woman behind the voice was such a woman.

Her long dark hair was plaited to one side, a long stemmed flower weaved into it. Strands of hair had fallen into her face, accentuating her large almond shaped eyes that were an impossible shade of emerald green, her eyebrows were gracefully arched, and her nose ended in a tiny slope. Her full pink lips parted slightly to reveal straight, white teeth.

All I could do was blink at her. "You're on my porch." She huffed.

I stood quickly, not wanting to cause a scene with the young female, since I'd decided to let them all live. "Sorry." I murmured, wondering why I _had_ decided to let them live.

She smiled, "It's alright." She reached out to me, "Come here, you must be freezing." I flinched away, but she draped the tan blanket from her shoulders around mine, "Come inside." It was warm, and smelled like her, a combination of chamomile and lavender.

She tugged on my shirt when I didn't move, a stern look on her face, "Now. I won't have a dead man frozen onto my porch." She snapped, and I followed her, too stunned at the irony of her statement to protest. At the very least, I could kill her before she made a sound.

She sat me down on a sofa, and sat herself to lighting a fire. Her house was new, very few people had been in it. "You must be a traveler." She said, glancing over at me.

"What?"

She nodded towards my worn shoes. "We don't get many travelers in these parts." She flashed me a smile, "Be glad it was my porch you sat on, most of the others aren't as willing to accept outsiders as I am." She sat on the space next to me.

"I'm Lucian." I found myself saying, my slave name coming from my lips against my will.

She smiled again, "What a lovely name." She held out a hand to me, "I'm Avalien."

I shook the offered hand, "Avalien?"

She nodded, "Just call me Ava. It's nice to meet you." When I took my hand back, she rubbed her own, "Your hands are freezing. Let me get the fire going a bit better."

She started to stand, but I grabbed her hand, "I'm fine! I have really bad circulation in my hands. I'll be okay."

She sat back down, a bit alarmed by my outburst. She seemed to recover quickly, nodded in acceptance of my story, "Okay, so why are you here?"

"I used to live near here." I lied effortlessly.

Her gaze narrowed, "Where, maybe I've heard of it?"

She was observant, either that or just very thorough, "Reboneck." I answered, hoping that the town had existed within the last decade.

She gasped a little, putting a hand on my knee. I didn't know why, but her expression was one of sympathy, but like every other human, she filled in the blanks for me, "I'm so sorry, what a shock it must have been to find everyone gone."

I widened my eyes in faked shock, "What?"

She shook her head in confusion, "I don't understand, aren't you from there?"

"Yes, but as you pointed out, I'm a traveler, I haven't been home in years."

"I'm so sorry, I would have kept my mouth shut if I'd known. Recently," She began, "people have been disappearing in my village, and when my father and several other men went to Reboneck to ask for help, they found them all dead. Vampires, they've invaded these parts, I've lost an uncle and three cousins. Your family must also have been killed or taken. I'm so sorry." She placed a thin hand on my knee, staring me down with her emerald green eyes.

She looked truly sorry for my supposed loss. I could read her like a lovely little map. I put on an appropriately mournful expression, "I…I hadn't heard."

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Next chapter is more conversations between Caius and Ava. A bit about Caius' past and a few sweet little things that have poor Caius a bit frustrated with himself... tehee. I have pictures on my Freewebs of Miss Ava and her family, so, enjoy!

Reviews are welcome!

-Jenn


	4. Chapter 3

So, here's the deal...this chappie is a little shorter than the others...hope that's okay. A little of Caius' past, and a little more about my world. Check out my freewebs to see what I think Ava should look like.

Enjoy!

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"I'm so sorry. I suppose it's better that you came here than there. My father and the others have been cleaning up. It's better that you didn't see your family that way."

"Thank you, for telling me, but I must say that any family I had was long dead anyway. They were dead before I left, bandits. My sister and mother were killed shortly before I left. My father died when I was just a small child."

I actually let my true emotions seep into being. My sister had been seven years my junior, and she could scarcely remember our father. Fia had been the one thing I had kept precious to me. She had been the little angel, blonde hair and our father's blue eyes. Our mother would hardly look at us because she was always so drugged up, so I mostly raised Fia. The men who used our mother liked to keep her docile, and used the drugs to do so. I was only grateful that Fia had been killed before they had replaced our mother with her. I'd loved her too much to allow that to happen anyway.

Ava looked at me tenderly as she took my hand into her own, "I'm so sorry."

I shook off the unbidden emotions, "Don't be, that was a long time ago."

"As you like." She acquiesced easily, "We shan't talk any more of it. Curses, how rude of me to have not offered you some refreshment before upsetting you, I'm sorry. Come, let me get you something."

"No, you shouldn't bother. I'm not hungry, and I've got my own drink." I said quickly, motioning to a flask I had at my side. She nodded slightly, but stood anyway, setting to make herself tea. What the human didn't need to know was that my little flask was full of blood…not necessarily animal blood either.

I watched with unusually rapt attention as she moved, taking the ribbon and flower out of her tresses. Her hair was surreal, hanging down around her hips, it moved with her, a black satin curtain obscuring her exquisite body from my view. I heard myself growl out in need. She looked up, meeting my hungry gaze with one that was innocent and probing, "Did you say something?"

I shook my head slightly, "No, I did not." My words were thick in my throat.

Ava smiled, bringing a cup of hot tea back to the sofa. "So, tell me about your travels, I'm sure they must be terribly exciting."

The next few hours saw me watching the girl slowly fall asleep through my stories. If I could say, the way her eyes would drift closed before jerking back up made her all the more lovely. How could one human do this to me? I hadn't felt this sort of carnal lust in centuries, but I felt it for this one human girl. I should just kill her, I reasoned. These feelings were nothing of value to me. Besides, I had Athenadora to satisfy my needs, why should I want this girl? Why!

She was sleeping peacefully, curled like a child on her corner of the sofa. Her head was tilted to one side, exposing the lush, silk caramel of her neck. Her blood was pumping just below the surface, waiting for me to sink my teeth into the delicate skin. "Why do you tempt me so, human?" I growled under my breath, and I was astounded when the girl's eyes fluttered open.

She jumped a bit, and then seemed to realize who I was. She sighed, smiling softly at me, "Good morning, Lucian. I'm sorry I didn't make a bed for you." She looked around with a sheepish grin, "Or at least get off the sofa so you could stretch out. Never the less, did you sleep well?"

I nodded, lying to her was becoming second nature to me. "Yes, fairly well. You?" I didn't want her to know that I didn't sleep, I didn't want her to know what I was. I didn't want her to know, because for the first time in centuries, I didn't want to see fear in her human eyes.

She looked me over, a tiny bit of an unknown emotion in her eyes, "I slept very well, considering."

"Considering what?"

She giggled again, and the noise brought a smile to my lips, "Considering that it's the first time I've ever slept with a man who wasn't my brother or my father next to me. I'm proud of myself, especially since this was my first night without any of them." The smile on her lips faded, "Thank you, Lucian, for staying with me. I could have never done it without you."

"Done what?" I asked, immensely curious as to her answer.

"Yesterday was my eighteenth and a half anniversary of my birth. You're from around here, you must know that it's tradition for that day to be the day in which we truly become adults and are expected to live on our own. Thank you, for not making me be truly alone last night." She ended with a smile, soft and tender. "I must admit that I was a little scared."

Finally, something I was familiar with. Something that was mine, from my time, finally. Perhaps that's why I was drawn to this girl, she was the one who could tell me what I wanted to hear, that my time hadn't completely been forgotten.

"Mae dod i oed." I said in the tongue I had grown up with, "The coming of age," I repeated in English, "yes, I remember. I myself, left home before mine could be performed, but I witnessed many of them."

"Well that's too bad. It's also too bad that you came so late last night The ceremony was beautiful. It would have been lovely to have had such an interesting guest." She looked up at me through her dark eyelashes and I felt a heat rise in me.

"Are you betrothed?" The question blurted out of my mouth before I could stop it. What was it about her that made me lose my reason?

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Remember, your reviews make me happy, and I write when i'm happy. So, REVIEW!

-Jenn


	5. Chapter 4

Hello dears! So, I have to ask... is anyone else's Story Traffic not working? Meh, maybe it's just me, but I can't tell if anyone is reading at all...and I've gotten reviews, since it started to blank out so I don't know what the heck is going on...

Anyway! I thought I'd get this chapter out to you because the _next_ chapter needs to come out at the same time as my next chapter of Taking Chances.

Enjoy!  


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She looked just as surprised by my question as I was. "Um…I'm not sure how it's any of your business, but no, I have not been betrothed. My father would never allow that. He wants me to make my own choices."

"Good." I said firmly.

She smiled, "He'd like you, actually I should probably…"

"Ava!" A gruff male voice called from just outside the house. "Ava!"

Ava laughed softly, "Like I was just about to say, I should probably go find him and tell him I survived the night." She stood, and looked down at her clothes, "Oh, no! I'm still wearing my clothes from last night!" She looked at me with a slightly panicked look on her face, "You need to hide. He can't know I had you here, or he'll kill me."

I nodded, "Any suggestions?"

She nodded, "Yes, through that door, my bedroom. He won't go there." She pulled back one of the window coverings slightly, "Come on, let's go!" She grabbed my hand and I allowed her to pull me with her. The room was small, but comfortably so, a large poster bed in the center. She took me to the bed and motioned for me to sit, "Sit, while I change clothes." She darted into another room adjoining this one. "Give me a moment to change clothes!"

I couldn't stop my mind from imagining her lovely tan body as she changed out of that simple white dress she had been wearing. "Stop it!" I growled to myself, I had to maintain control. When she returned, she was wearing a green dress that cut across her collarbone, leaving much of the tantalizing skin of her neck exposed. She was pulling a red pendant onto her neck, "What's that?" I asked, looking at the pendant, it's color and eccentric pattern looking highly unusual to me.

She smiled, "A gift from my mother. She says it will keep evil away. She gave it to me for the ceremony yesterday." She sighed impatiently, "Would you help me with this?"

I held out a hand towards her, and she smiled gratefully. Our fingers brushed as I took the necklace from her hands and she turned her back to me. Stupid human. I could so easily kill her. Her mother's trinket obviously didn't keep evil away if I was touching it. As I fastened the clasp, I swept my fingers down her carotid, a quick gesture, just to prove to myself that I didn't want to rip her throat out...which I did. I wasn't used to having to maintain this level of self-control.

"Thank you." She whispered, and walked gracefully to the bedroom door, "Make yourself comfortable, this might be a while."

I grunted a response, and sat on the bed. I heard her outside, with her father, I assumed. "Tad!" There was a grunt followed by a deep laugh.

"Did you miss me, youngling?"

She giggled, opening the door and they entered, "Mmh…probably not as much as you'd like me to have."

"You wound an old man, dear one. Now really, how did you sleep? I know the first night on your own can be rough, but…"

"Tad," she interrupted him softly, "Really, I was fine."

"I still think we should get you a dog…or something."

"Father!" She said exasperatedly, "Mum said I would be fine, and you know as well as I do that she knows things."

Her father sighed in acceptance, "Yes, she did say you would be fine…but that doesn't stop me from worrying about my only daughter. I did have to be the bigger man last night though, you and your mother would have been proud of me."

"Kayden?" She asked, and I could hear the smile on her voice.

"Yes, he wanted to come over here so badly. Even said he saw someone on your porch."

I stiffened, had someone seen me? That wouldn't be good. "That's crazy, father. I was alone last night."

She was an effortless liar. I was amazed by the fluidity in which the words came from her. "Oh," her father said, "I don't doubt that. Your brother is just a little paranoid. I spent all night convincing him that you were okay. Turns out he was using himself as a diversion. I look around and I'm down three sons. Your brothers are clever. They were half way here by the time I caught up to them. I'm glad they don't know the forest as well as I do or they would have ended up scaring you half to death."

"Thank you, for stopping them. You're right, they would have scared me out of my wits."

"It took all my willpower not to help them. You're our baby, Ava, we worry about you." I could imagine him, some gruff older man who was frighteningly tough looking, cuddling a little girl with black hair and green eyes.

"I know!" She cried exasperatedly.

He laughed, "Come, let us go and show your brothers that you're alright."

"Okay, just let me get some shoes." She said as she darted back into the bedroom. She fixed me with a wide-eyed stare, "I'm sorry about this, maybe now is a good time for you to arrive in the center of town." She whispered.

"I can do that." I whispered back. She smiled radiantly, and stooped to grab the shoes she had forgotten.

"See you!" With that, she was gone, a trail of long black hair behind her. She had looked so young in that instant, her hair misplaced from running and her green eyes wide in exhilaration. So damn beautiful. I barely knew anything about this girl, but I wanted to know her…I _had_ to get to know her. She made me feel. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, I had yet to decide. Either way, I could kill her easily, and her trusting nature would make it all too easy.

Against my better judgment, again, I headed out the back door, and ran to a few miles outside of the town. On my way back, I killed a deer, I needed to get back into the habit of not eating humans, and I figured that the best way to do that would be to just quit cold turkey…or at least I think that's the phrase I meant to use…yes, cold turkey…most defiantly not my idea of a nice afternoon stroll.

Once I had controlled myself, excited from actually hunting for the first time in what felt like forever, I reentered the village.

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Hope you liked this chapter, and if you haven't read Nightfall Is Bliss, or Taking Chances, I suggest you look into them.

I have to say, I love Caius. I didn't like him until I figured out how to make him _human_. Now, he's got to be one of my favorites. I hope you all like him too.

Please, leave me a review if you like it...especially since I can't even tell if anyone is reading.

Review!

-Jenn


	6. Chapter 5

Here's another chapter to celebrate my last normal day of the school! Next week is exam week, and then...SUMMER! (I'm overly excited...)

Hope everyone is doing okay, and enjoys this chapter enough to leave a review.

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It seemed like in the scant time I had been gone, the entire village had congregated in the center. It was loud, people and children running around with food and some horrible music being played by a man with no hair.

Ava was surrounded by men. An older man, a young man, two very similar teenaged looking boys, and another one, a young boy perched on Ana's lap, were looking like they wanted to put her in a dungeon somewhere far, far away. I assumed that the oldest was her father and the others were her brothers.

The only woman near them was standing behind the adult man holding a small baby in her arms with another young boy holding onto her brown skirts. She caught my eye. She wasn't near the beauty Ava was, with short cropped black hair and a plain face, but I noticed green bruises in the shape of fingers on both of her arms as well as a scar on the side of her face that vaguely looked like the same pattern as the necklace around Ava's neck. None of these marks would be evident to a human, but to me, they were plainly clear.

"Excuse me." I said, finding my voice.

Ava turned to me with a knowing smile on her face, but the men all shifted in front of her, "Who are you?" The older man asked.

I stepped out of the shadows, allowing the sun to touch my skin. They visibly relaxed when I didn't shine. "I'm Lucian Seren Lachar. I am a traveler from Reboneck. Others have told me that it would not be the best idea to go back. It would be too kind of you all to allow me to stay in your village."

The oldest man nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry for your loss. Of course, you are welcome here. I am Archam." He gestured to the oldest boy, "That is my son Kayden, his lovely wife Noel behind him." He smiled at the girl, and she returned it slightly, but I noticed how she clutched her baby even closer to her chest. "The baby is Jesse, and that's his older brother Parker clinging to his mother there." The little boy smiled broadly and waved at me exuberantly. "My twin sons, Conner and Garrett." The two younger looking boys each waved a hand in tandem, "My only daughter Ava," He continued, and I fixed her with a knowing look, "and my youngest, Gavin." The younger boy in Ava's arms ducked his head into her shoulder.

"He's a little shy." She explained, pulling him away from her, "Gavin, tell our new friend hello."

The boy looked up, and I saw that he too had the same emerald green colored eyes as his sister, "Hi." He mumbled before ducking back into his sister's embrace.

She laughed again, "I'm sorry." She pushed her brother out of her lap, onto the bench she had been sitting on. She came forward, "Like he said, I'm Ava. It's lovely to meet you, Lucian, you will of course, be staying in our house." She blushed, "Well, my father's house, I have only just recently moved into my own home. Anything you need, we can try our best to provide it for you. I'm sorry for your loss."

"I had no real family left, but thank you for your hospitality." I replied. We shared a look together. She nodded her head slightly.

"We will warn you, odd traveler: don't touch our sister." The twins said in tandem.

Ava shot a glare at them, "Don't be brats." She took me by the arm, "Ignore them, I'm going to show you about our little village and introduce you to some people."

I ignored the glares I got from her men as she led me away.

"Ava!" A female voice called.

Ava stopped, looking around. I saw the brown haired girl walking up to us when Ava did. "Brianna!"

The girl was pretty, with long brown hair that fell in soft waves and dark brown eyes. And I instantly hated her, "Ava, I've been looking everywhere for you! I need you to come look at the dress I'm going to wear to the capitol." She reminded me of Heidi. She was pretty, but very, very, selfish.

Ava made a noise, "Anna! I can't I'm…"

"Wotcher, Ava!" Another girl slid into the path on her knees.

Ava shrieked, and then she was in my arms, her back against my chest. I caught her, holding her closely, trying to tell where the girl on the ground started and where the mud ended. The girl was laying flat in the mud, laughing hysterically. The girl named Brianna had recoiled in disgust, pulling her thick skirts up, away from the muck Ava and I were now standing in.

"What in the world?" Ava said, stepping out of my hold. She leaned over the girl.

She kept laughing, "Ava, you have no idea how much fun mud sliding is! Your brothers are insane! But I totally love them!"

"What are you going on about, you mad panther?" Brianna snapped, her perfect nose wrinkled in disgust. Yes, she reminded me very much of Heidi.

Ava held out a hand, shaking her head, but with a soft smile on her face, "Come on, Kai. Get up." The mud girl reached up a hand and grasped Ava's, but I could tell, by the way she was moving what was going to happen next. "Kai!" Ava squeaked as the other girl yanked her down into the mud.

They both laid there, laughing at the sky. "Kai, how did you even manage to get out to the road?"

The other girl shrugged, "I just did what they told me to, where was I supposed to end up?"

Ava stretched out a grubby hand, "Over there, in the lake." We all looked at the fairly clear water. I couldn't contain my snort. Ava rolled her eyes at me, "Lucian, could you help me up?"

I shrugged, holding out a hand. She actually surprised me by pulling on my hand. I may have been a vampire, but I couldn't defy the laws of gravity, especially not when I was standing on slick mud. I fell next to Ava. "What was that for?" I asked in pretend outrage.

Ava looked at me impishly before bursting into laughter again. "I'm not really sure! Brianna, want to join us?"

The other girl turned up her nose at the idea, "I'm going home, come find me when you both are acting more civilized."

The mud-covered girl called Kai mocked the sound of the other girls voice, "You're a stick in the mud, Anna!"

"You're the one in the mud!" The brown haired girl shrieked as she walked away.

"Come on, Kai, Lucian. Let's go get cleaned up before my father comes and finds us." Ava said, standing with my help. She in turn, helped me up before pulling her friend off the ground, "Lucian, I'll get you something of my brother's to wear. You look like you could wear something of Conner and Garrett's." She pulled me in front of what seemed to be the largest home in the village, "Wait here, Lucian. Kai, come in, you can wear one of my dresses to the party." The two girls, covered from head to toe as I was in mud, skipped up the stairs to the porch and disappeared inside.

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So, we've met Brianna (Anna from Nightfall Is Bliss and Taking Chances, which is in the future.), we've also met Kai, and the rest of Ava's family.

Poor Ava, she's the only girl in a family of boys.

Please, if you like my story, leave a review!

-Jenn


	7. Chapter 6

Sorry it's been so long, I just went back to school yesterday so things are kind of hectic. I found a lull in work and got this chapter finished. Of course, I have a splitting headache, so I apologize in advance for any typos. Point them out, and I'll try to fix them. At any rate, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

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When the girls finally emerged, I was stunned. Ava chuckled a little as she walked past me, dropping clothes into my arms. Turns out the tomboyish Kai was a stunner. Her hair was almost as fair as mine, she had amazingly pale skin, and bright blue-green eyes. She looked down shyly. Ava came back to hug her friend, "Luc, this is Kai. Kai, this is Lucian."

"Hey there." She said softly, and I was amazed to notice the slight twang in her voice, an American. She curtsied, "Vivian Skylar Hillock at your service." I just looked at her blankly.

Ava giggled, "It's scary, isn't it. She rolls through mud and then looks like an angel. I wish I could look that fresh and wide eyed first thing in the morning."

Kai squeaked in indignation, "Ava, we all know you're the prettiest girl here. I mean you're so pretty you don't even look real sometimes. Anna's just perfect all the time, and me…"

Ava groaned, "Kai! You look like a porcelain doll. Me, I had horrible skin until about two years ago, and my hair was one terrible knot as a child. You, Kai, you've never had a blemish, and your hair is resistant to everything." She gestured to her friend now, "Kai, you were just covered in mud and your hair is already pale again. All I did was throw a bucket of water over your head."

Kai nodded, a sly smile on her face, "Well, I did have to brush a bunch of mud out of your hair, and you did have trouble getting that dirt off your arm…"

"Gee, Kai, don't make me regret trying to make me feel better."

The blond grinned, "Never, you just helped me with my self confidence!" She bounded off, yelling, "Now, where are your delectable brothers?"

Ava sighed, a fond smile on her face. "I'm thinking I just helped her ego."

I couldn't contain my slight snort at the tone of Ava's voice. I hated it when she made me do that, lose myself. I'd known her for less than a day, and already my mind was racing with ideas of the future. One such idea was if I was human, falling in love with her and having a daughter that looks just like her, but that would never happen. I wasn't human. It was then that the image of me ripping her throat out crossed my mind. I could imagine her, covered in blood, gasping for air, and me smiling as the light faded from her green eyes.

"Luc?" Her soft voice pulled me out of my dark daydream.

"Luc?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "Since when do you call me Luc?"

She shrugged, a blush staining her cheeks, "I don't know."

I began to snap, but then…I caught myself, something I hadn't managed to do in years, "Well…I like it."

She nodded quickly, "You should go inside and change clothes, we need to get to the center soon. Father will want to humiliate…I mean introduce you to everyone else."

I narrowed my eyes at the girl, "I'm watching you."

She giggled, "Go on, I'll be out here waiting."

I went inside the cabin and changed in a few seconds, standing restlessly by the door until I judged that it had been a reasonably long enough gap of time.

Ava smiled, "They fit!"

They did, but I knew that the pants came from her oldest brother and the shirt from one of her twin brothers, whose scents were nearly indistinguishable from each other. "Yes they do. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Kai ran off to find my brothers. The three of them are one terrible nightmare."

"Is she in love with one of them?" I asked carefully.

Ava's face fell slightly, "No, they're just friends, and she's the only one that will run around with them all the time."

"Sounds tiring." I said, regretting having made Ava upset with my unthinking words. It had probably sounded like I was interested in Kai, which I was not. I'd had enough of blondes. Athenadora drove me mad enough.

Ava returned to her happy look, appearing unfazed, "Yes, the three of them always go to sleep earlier than the rest of us. It's like having three small children running around, only more noticeable."

I chuckled darkly, "Must get old pretty fast."

She rolled her eyes, "Everything around here gets old pretty fast." She looked at me thoughtfully, "I'm glad you're here."

"Really?" I said, genuinely surprised.

She nodded, walking a little faster, "You're new."

"Oh, so I'm the shiny new toy?" I said, a bit put out.

She smiled brightly at me, "Not exactly. More like something to occupy my time other than picking out dresses. I'm so tired of looking at fabric."

"What are you picking dresses out for?" I asked.

She groaned, "Where _have_ you been? Under a rock?"

"Um…maybe?" I said, a bit unsure of myself for a change.

Ava sighed, "The prince Transitioned and the Royal Court is holding a ball, open to all available women of a certain age."

"Let me guess, you, Kai and Anna are women of that certain age?"

She pursed her lips for a moment, "Unfortunately. We don't have to go, but…it's always been Anna's dream…to be married to the prince. She's worked her whole life for it. But, he's Rowan."

"Ah." I said, realizing her trepidation. "You're afraid of what she might do."

She smiled at me, "Exactly. Either way, I know that once we go to Camelot, I will cease to have one of my best friends."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, instinctually not liking the broken look in her emerald eyes.

She took my arm, like I was escorting her. I could feel the blood pulsing under her skin. I swallowed, ignoring the influx of venom in my mouth. She sighed heavier than before, "I know things, it's what I do." She laughed, "My mother is better than I am though. I only see a few things here and there."

"You see the future?" I asked, surprised, and immediately knowing that she was another reason to keep Aro in the dark about Avalon. He wanted Alice, but Ava was human, easier to get to, vulnerable.

She shrugged, "Sort of, they're more like feelings. I don't dwell too much on them, but even without them, I know Anna. She'll do something drastic. I only hope I can do something to stop her."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked. I wasn't used to people trusting me off the bat with their secrets.

She stopped walking, "I don't know." She stepped in front of me, just a foot away. She had a strange look on her face that was replaced by a sweet smile, "I just do, Lucian. I know I'm supposed to trust you." She put her hands in front of my shirt, her fingertips just barely touching the fabric, "Do you trust me?"

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It only gets better from this point on. Hope you all liked this chapter, and if you did, review!

-Jenn


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